Encounters: Damon and Bonnie
by UrbanWitch
Summary: This story takes place right after Bonnie's grandma dies. As Bonnie deals with her Grams' death, she also finds herself having to deal with Damon.
1. Chapter 1

**First Encounter**

Bonnie woke up for the first time Sunday morning without that overwhelming feeling of dread and sadness that had permeated her every waking hour since Grams died a week ago. The sun was bright and warmed her caramel-colored skin through the window as she lay in bed, her cream-colored sheets rumpled around her, all soft and cozy. She stretched her arms, and remembering, quickly reached for the silver charm she had begun to wear, to make sure it was still there. Elena and Stefan had given it to her – it was an oval filigree locket filled with vervain. According to Grams, Bonnie's powers would help her resist any vampire compulsion, but not if she was in a weakened state such as the deep melancholy she was currently absorbed by. Hmmm… powers. It was time, thought Bonnie, to begin working on them again.

By the time she was dressed in a leaf-patterned tunic and jeans combo she favored, and thrown on a long olive-green crocheted cardigan that had been Gram's, it was still early in the day. Stuffing her tan suede satchel with an energy bar, bottle of water, journal and pen, she jumped on her bike and headed for the woods. There was a spot by the riverbank where a huge boulder under a shady tree was one of her favorite places to read and do homework. Why not add "cast spells" to the list.

As she traversed the narrow dirt pathways carved by hikers and mountain bikers, deep in thought, she failed to notice a black bird fly overhead. Nor did she detect how it circled back and followed her all the way to her destination, and then perched on the highest branch of a nearby oak tree. She threw her bike on the forest floor, and walked purposefully towards the water. She loved looking at and listening to moving, sparkling, gurgling water – it seemed to match her own spirit and her mood, especially the random, chaotic thoughts that were filling her mind right now. That would not do. She had to focus if she wanted to improve her craft.

Pulling out her journal, Bonnie reviewed some notes she had written when she had first begun to be able to control fire. It seemed fitting to begin with fire as it was the only element missing from around her,. as she stood on muddy ground next to the river and breathed in fresh air scented with pine and earth.

Bonnie held out her hand towards a twig floating lazily in the current and concentrated. Her thoughts were about warm and hot and combustion and licks of flame. Her head felt hot and she could feel energy in her hand. She closed her eyes and held her breath. When she opened them, she saw… the twig looking just as wet as before, drifting slowly away. "Well, of course trying to light a wet piece of wood on fire is going be pretty hard" said Bonnie out loud to herself. "Twig one, Bonnie zero."

Just then a caw rang out, making her jump. It sounded a bit like laughter. She looked up and saw nothing but a gorgeous blue sky, and, in the direction of the woods, leafy branches criss-crossing in a soothing nature pattern. Bonnie shrugged it off and decided, danger be dammed, to try practicing her fire-starting on dry land where she had a more reasonable shot of succeeding. She tied her long curls back and pushed up her sleeves with renewed determination. She focused her energy on a crumpled up chocolate wrapper that was resting on a rocky patch at the foot of the boulder. She thought about rising temperatures and chemical reactions and flames. She reached out her hand, closed her eyes, and felt energy build up in her hand. Bonnie could feel her hand getting warmer as she willed her power to leave her hand and leap to the chocolate wrapper. She opened her eyes. Nothing had happened.

Bonnie felt like stamping her feet and throwing a tantrum. She had always been a good student and did well in any school subject she attempted. So, why was she not able to do this? Another "caw" sounded out, startling her considerably. She glanced around as the bird seemed to be rather close by. She felt goose bumps along her spine, and the hairs on the back of her neck started to prickle. She was being watched.

Foolish girl, she thought to herself. Coming out to the woods early in the morning when they were deserted was such a ridiculously thoughtless thing to do when there were vampires loose in Mystic Falls. And no one knew where she was. She ran to her bag, determined to take her bike and ride out of the woods as fast as humanly (or would that be witchily?) possible. She heard the sound of leaves crackling behind her, spun around quickly, and found herself facing Damon Salvatore who was somehow just an arms-length away from her. He was dressed in his usual black, elegant in a supple Italian leather jacket and stylish boots. A smirk on his face, he drawled "Well, fancy meeting you here Bonnie."

Bonnie had frozen in place. She knew it would be impossible to outrun him, and so didn't try. She regarded him as one would a wild animal. One who had rabies. "Hello Damon" she said. She felt proud her voice hadn't quavered – somehow she knew if he sensed her fear, he would enjoy it. "I'll be on my way now" she said with a feigned nonchalance she clearly didn't feel. "You stay and enjoy the river" she added conversationally and began walking unsteadily towards her bike.

"Where are you going Bonnie?" asked Damon, his eyes never leaving Bonnie's face. "I just got here." Bonnie had managed to walk several steps away from him, but suddenly he was again right next to her. He could smell the clean, soapy scent on her skin and hair, mingled with something else -- the fragrance of her very desirable rare and powerful witch's blood. He could see her doing her best to not shake as she continued backing away. The terror he could see reflected in her eyes was intoxicating.

"I'm leaving, Damon" she stated. "You will let me leave." She had hoped it would sound strong and matter-of-fact. But Damon easily detected the tremor and fear in her voice. He smiled and suddenly his hand was curved tightly around Bonnie's wrist. He pulled her closer towards him and gazed longingly at her graceful and unblemished neck. Her skin was smooth as milky tea and he could see her life-giving blood pulsing sweetly through her veins. He leaned over, and gave her throat an experimental lick. Delicious.

It was at this point that Bonnie broke out of whatever fear-induced trance she had been in the grip of and pulled her arm hard, to snap it out of Damon's hold. She took several steps backwards and tumbled to the forest floor, but even so she already had her hand out, steady and controlled as she focused all of her firepower energy at Damon. A bolt of energy sparked from her fingertips towards Damon and hit him squarely in his chest. He flew backwards several feet and fell, singed and smoky, against a large tree that was, luckily for him, right next to the river. With a cry, Damon leaped into the water, to ensure that he was completely put out. "You owe me a new jacket" he called out, looking up to see Bonnie rapidly pedaling away, putting greater distance between the two of them by the second. He gazed after her, his eyes dark but thoughtful. The little witch had surprised him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Second Time Around**

As Bonnie raced furiously through the woods and made it to the open road, where public space provided an illusion of safety, her mind was filled with a jumble of thoughts. Foremost among them was how had she been able to shoot fire at Damon and send him aloft when just minutes before a piece of paper was too taxing for her? She found herself riding towards Elena's house. Talking to her best friend would help her figure it out.

An hour later, Bonnie was sitting in Elena's living room, munching on spicy Cheezits and sipping lemonade as they dissected the morning. "First of all" said Elena after Bonnie had provided all the details. "you must never go into those woods alone again. They are much too dangerous and vervain can only protect you from being compelled. You can still be killed." Bonnie had no trouble admitting her error. Elena went on "Do you think your powers are vampire-specific? I mean, do they work only on or around vampires?"

"I don't think that's it" replied Bonnie, who had barely just stopped shivering from the narrow escape. "Remember I've been able to start fires without any vampires around in the past."

"Well, what if being in a stressful situation is what did it?" suggested Elena. "Like when you were in horrible danger, instinct kicked in?"

"Hmmm…" Bonnie reflected. "That could be… a "fight or flight" response… my powers become instinct. Yes, that makes a lot of sense."

"Can you start a fire now?" asked Elena. "I'm curious to see if now that you've done it in a big way, have your powers improved?"

"I'm not sure" said Bonnie. "I'm pretty exhausted." She focused on a candle in a half-hearted way, but was clearly too drained for anything to happen. Her hand was trembling in the wake of her earlier adrenaline rush and she didn't feel mentally up for it.

Elena, in the meanwhile, had called Stefan on her cell and was animatedly telling him to get Damon to stay away from Bonnie. "I know you can't control him but there must be something you can do" she yelled heatedly into her phone. Bonnie, smiling at Elena's protectiveness, curled up drowsily on the couch, and drifted off into a much needed slumber.

She awoke when she felt a cloth of some sort land on her. She thought perhaps Elena had thrown a blanket over her, but when she touched the material, it was stiff and smooth, not cuddly and warm. She opened her eyes curiously, and realized it had darkened all around her. Just how long had she slept? She looked up at Elena and realized with a start that the figure standing nearby was not Elena at all. It was Damon.

"Look what you did" he said, pointing to the charred leather jacket he had tossed over at her while she was sleeping. "They don't make them like this anymore" he mused sadly.

Bonnie sat up as fast as she was able, which in her state, was a bit dizzily, and flung the jacket away from her. "How did you get in here?" she demanded, clutching her necklace for security. "Where's Elena?"

"I've been invited" said Damon simply. "Elena's not here. She's picking Jeremy up from the game." Then he grinned, in what he thought might be a reassuring manner.

Bonnie was far from reassured. "Elena invited you in and left you here with me???" she squealed.

"Well, not exactly" shrugged Damon. "I was invited weeks ago. But the really fun thing is, now I'm always welcome. Isn't that super?" He tried to adopt a light, cheerful tone in an effort to help Bonnie relax.

Bonnie was far from relaxed. "Why are you here?" she asked through gritted teeth. It just wasn't fair. She had already fought him off once today. She couldn't possibly muster up the energy to battle him again.

Damon seemed to be reading her mind. "Don't worry. If I wanted you dead, you would never have woken up." He knew Bonnie was a very young and inexperienced witch just discovering her powers. Damon, on the other hand, was a very old and experienced vampire and fully in command of his powers. Well, old in a debonair, fountain-of-youth way, not a wrinkled, dirty-old-man way.

"But then why are you here?" Bonnie asked again in a small voice, her hands curled into tight fists, her body a study in heightened tension.

Damon, his dark locks falling across his forehead, smiled charmingly. "I have a proposition."

"A proposition." repeated Bonnie incredulously.

"You are much more powerful than I had previously given you credit for" stated Damon. Bonnie did not feel very powerful. She knew her ability had suddenly appeared when she had been in great danger but she couldn't count on it to protect her again. She would never say that to Damon of course. She just nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"Oh, you probably couldn't attack me right now since you'll need time to gain your strength back" Damon pointed out casually, blowing Bonnie's cover. "But over time, your abilities will develop to rival your Grams. " He watched Bonnie wince and bite her lip at the name of her dead grandmother. "A witch as young as you are should not have been able to throw me the way you did today."

Bonnie, though still fearful, was listening with rapt attention. "So, um… whats your proposition?" she asked.

"Glad you asked" smiled Damon, dimpling up. "I want you to help me with a spell." He sat down on the coffee table, just inches away from Bonnie, crossed his arms, and waited.

Bonnie slowly pulled herself off the couch and stood up, a look of amazement on her face. "I'm sorry, I must have misheard you" she began. "You want my help with a spell? After you enthralled and abused Caroline? After you turned Vicki into a vampire? After you tried to kill me last month? After you tried to bite me this morning? You expect me to just happily say 'sure Damon, I'll help you with a spell'??? You've got to be kidding me! I will never ever in my lifetime ever help you!!" Bonnie was no longer scared. She was furious.

Damon simply winked at her. Just then they heard the distinct sound of Elena's car pulling up, doors opening and voices, one of which sounded like Stefan's. Damon smoothly got to his feet and asked "So you'll think about it?" as he sauntered through the kitchen and out the back door.


	3. Chapter 3

I can't tell you how much the reviews and fan-fave bookmarks mean to me. They are truly my inspiration to keep writing - thank you!!!

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**Third Time's a Charm**

Ever since Damon's surprise visit while she was at Elena's house, Bonnie had spent every day practicing spells and working on her powers. She shunned any sort of social life so that her after-school hours were completely filled with homework and spellwork. Let Elena go to the movies and walks in the rain with Stefan. Let Caroline frequent parties and become the new cheer captain. Bonnie's world had changed.

And it was working. Her powers were growing. She was getting stronger. She had listed in her journal all the things she was now able to do:

light small fires at will

float light objects (like leaves, feathers or cotton balls) in the air

push objects (like a book or plate) across a table

psychic visions (these were still pretty fuzzy)

Hmmm… when listed like that, not so impressive. She wouldn't be able to do much against an enemy by attacking with cotton balls. Still, she was also getting better at casting spells. She needed a lot of prep time, gathering materials and studying the incantations in the Grimiore though, so there would be no casting with only her mind and memory. Yet.

As she trudged to school after a particularly trying night of spelling, she was broken out of her reverie by a cacophony of voices. Ahead of her on the road, were Dara, Melody and Jules, the town's resident mean girls. They were teasing and taunting awkward and shy Kirsten, who was trying to walk faster and get away. "Why won't you come to the concert with us on Saturday Kristen?" asked Jules. Kristen hung her head and looked at her shoes. "We'll drive you there" said Dara. "Yes, and leave me there all alone like you did last time?" asked Kristen. "We lost you" said Melody, all innocence and apparent apology. "It won't happen this time. You should come with us."

Bonnie had heard enough. She caught up with the group and gave the trio a blinding smile. "What concert are you referring to Jules? Because there are no concerts anywhere around here this weekend. Besides, Kristen already has other plans this Saturday, with me and Elena." With that, she pulled Kirsten by the hand and walked her briskly away. Kristen smiled gratefully at Bonnie. How kind of Bonnie thought Kristen, and gave her a hug, her hair catching on something of Bonnie's, both of them giggling as they untangled themselves. Up on a telephone wire, a crow cocked its head.

At lunch, Bonnie sat with Elena and Caroline, sharing each other's snacks and gossip. Bonnie was all sunlight and goodness, radiant in her laughter. Tall, red-headed James Wickman, walked over, drawn to Bonnie's light and energy, tried to talk to her, and had his attention skillfully deflected towards Caroline. Bonnie didn't have time for boys, so was happy to let her flirty BFF banter with him instead. Happily basking in her friend's company, she thought she must have imagined a distant "caw" over the noise of the schoolyard.

After school, Bonnie decided it would be ok to veer from her strict routine of Elena driving her straight home. She hadn't seen Damon since that time at Elena's house and was significantly less worried about him being in her life anymore. Besides, her increased powers had given her increased confidence. She asked Elena to drop her off at the graveyard, so she could visit Gram's gravesite. "I'll come with you" said Elena immediately.

"Oh Elena, I love that you want to, but I'll be ok. Besides, I want to spend time with Grams by myself. Can you understand?" Of course Elena understood, having lost her parents less than a year ago. Besides, Stefan had wanted to take her on a drive to one of his favorite picnic sites this afternoon. She let Bonnie out near the cemetery with an admonition to be careful.

Bonnie took a few steps in her buckled brown leather boots and then stopped. She took a few deep breaths and tried her best to "see" into the cemetery. Sometimes she could sense the presence of people she knew or sometimes danger. But nothing. She wound her way through the trees and gravestones, some of them a couple of centuries old, until she got to Gram's grave. It was marked by a stone angel and the soil still looked fresh – after all, it had only been about a month since she was buried. Bonnie kneeled next to the angel, not caring that her skirt and tights were getting dirty.

"Grams" she said out loud. "I miss you so much." Tears squeezed out of the corners of her eyes. "I wish you were still here to guide me. I need you Grams." The tears were coming faster now, running down her cheeks. "I'm getting better though. I think you would be proud of me." She put one hand on the soil, wondering if speaking to the dead was a power she might eventually develop.

"Tell her I said hello" said Damon, breaking into her thoughts. Instinctively Bonnie screamed. Damon covered his ears. "Ow" he winced theatrically.

"What are you doing here?" Bonnie whispered, her voice hoarse from crying.

"Ask a stupid question… you know the rest" smirked Damon.

Bonnie grasped the angel statue and pulled herself up. She wiped her tears away with grimy hands, not realizing she was leaving streaks of dirt across her face. She looked impossibly young and vulnerable standing there with her mussed ponytail, mud-stained clothes, skirt askew and oversized sweater. "I will not help you with any spells" she said with as much strength and finality as she could muster.

"I beg to differ" remarked Damon, as he pulled a chain out of his pocket. Dangling from the end, was her vervain-filled charm.


	4. Chapter 4

**Fourth quarter**

Bonnie immediately put her hand to her throat, grasping at her necklace, which was no longer around her neck. Her mind flashed back to that morning, realizing that her necklace must have fallen off when Kirsten's hair got caught in the chain. She gasped, and began shaking. In her weakened, grief-ridden state, she was easy prey if Damon chose to try and influence her mind. Still, she rallied, standing as straight and tall as she could manage and looked directly at Damon, her head held high. He returned her gaze, his lips twisted into a dark smile.

Damon had been watching Bonnie over the last few weeks, waiting for his chance to catch her unawares. Oddly, now that the moment had come, he faltered. He had been spying on her to find some sort of weakness he could use as leverage. He had seen Bonnie hanging out with her friends. He had witnessed her in quiet moments, reading, practicing spells or writing in her journal. He had watched as she moved about town and made decisions and interacted with others. He had even spied on her in her own house, peering through her bedroom window. He had caught her sleeping in sage green pajamas with a frog imprinted on them… dancing by herself to a favorite song… deep in thought writing a research paper at her desk… brushing her hair in a hurry, barely even glancing at the mirror that might have reflected his familiar through the window if she had looked closely.

And he had started to discern a pattern. Bonnie, like Elena, was a warm and good-hearted person. She never spoke or acted unkindly, or was dishonest. Usually such consistently moral, self-sacrificing individuals bored Damon to tears. But there was more to Bonnie than her inherent goodness and integrity. She had a sparkling personality, that was sometimes at odds with her quieter, more studious nature. She was simply beautiful, with her long dark curls and mysterious almond-shaped eyes. And then there was the witchcraft. Damon had seen Bonnie working hard to master her craft, focusing on protection out of necessity, but also on spells that would help others such as healing and health. She hadn't looked twice at the spells oriented towards personal gain, like wealth and love potions, which had lead many a witch down the road to corruption. Accustomed to humans eventually disappointing without fail, Bonnie was an anomaly who stayed true to herself. Damon may not have been able to consciously put it into words, but he had developed a great deal of respect for her.

He was just as surprised as Bonnie when he held out the necklace to her. Bonnie took it back from his outstretched hand, and flinched when her fingers brushed against his, which promptly caused her to drop the necklace. Damon was crouched next to her in seconds, holding it up, putting it around her neck before she half realized what had happened. He took one step backwards, but was still much too close.

"Now are you ready to listen?" he asked, running his hands rakishly though his hair. When Bonnie didn't answer, he went on. "I would like you to concoct a "Discoverus Spell" to help me find someone."

"Katherine" breathed Bonnie.

"Nothing gets by Bonnie" Damon snarked. "Now when shall we get started, hmmm?"

"I don't think" began Bonnie with measured tones "that it would be a good idea for you and Katherine to be together in Mystic Falls. That sounds like a recipe for danger and disaster."

"Well, that's my favorite kind of recipe" Damon retorted. "Look, while I could have compelled you just now instead of returning your necklace, I didn't. So, in my book, you owe me one."

Bonnie gazed at Damon thoughtfully. "You only returned it because even though you might have been able to compel me right now, it would have worn off soon after we parted. So it would not have served your long term purpose."

"Okay, then how's this for an incentive?" said Damon menacingly, losing patience. "Do the spell for me or I will find Caroline and enthrall her again. That will provide me a diversion until you come to your senses."

Bonnie lowered her head and chewed on her lower lip, feeling defeated. She didn't want to simply give in to a threat. She clenched and unclenched her fists, her mind spinning. "Ok. I'll help you, but on one condition. Once we find Katherine, you must leave Mystic Falls with her and never return." Bonnie didn't feel particularly great about sending Damon and Katherine out to terrorize other parts of the world, but at the moment it seemed the best she could hope for.

"Certainly" Damon shot back. "She and I will leave Mystic Falls forever. Done."

That was easy thought Bonnie. "Are you telling me the truth?" she asked tentatively.

"Of course not" Damon laughed. "Bonnie, have you not yet realized that I hold all the cards here?" He drew even closer to her so that his lips grazed her ear. " You dare think you can place any conditions on me?" he whispered.

Bonnie tried to turn away but Damon's presence was overpowering, his body hard and muscled, his scent like that of the forest floor after a rainfall. Damon too was reeling from his closeness to Bonnie. Her soft hair tickled his cheek. The heady scent of her witch's blood was tantalizing and it was a struggle to turn away. He held up his hand to her face as she trembled, and without really thinking about it, wiped off some of the smudges of dirt. "I'm really sorry about your Grams" he said softly. "I know you two were close and how painful her death must have been for you."

Bonnie was so taken aback by this glimpse of a softer side of Damon, that she couldn't do more than blink back tears as her eyes watered up at his kindness. Damon, for his part, perplexed at the words that had seemingly tumbled out of his mouth of their own volition, shoved Bonnie away from him so that she stumbled back against the stone angel. "You have five days to prepare the spell" he said tersely. And then he was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

Many many thanks to everyone that has reviewed this story so far -- its immensely gratifying to hear from my readers!

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**Five Days Later**

Five days later, Bonnie felt she was as ready as she would ever be. She had the Discoverus spell and a protection spell under her belt. Damon had sent word via a cryptic note slipped into her locker at school. It said "Let us meet on Friday eve where stone meets water and earth", a reference to the spot where Damon had tried to bite her. It also said "Come alone."

Clutching a flashlight in one hand and a stick from an ash tree in the other, she began her journey through the woods. The stick was a wand of sorts, and would help focus her power if she needed to send a concentrated burst of fire at anything. Or anyone. Bonnie walked with such speed and so purposefully, that she pretty much stumbled right into the feeding orgy before she could hide. Three vampires were taking turns drinking blood from a barely conscious woman who lay moaning on the ground, blood draining from a number of ripped and gored places on her flesh. Upon hearing Bonnie, they instantaneously turned towards her.

Bonnie wasted not a second before beginning to chant her protection spell. She was in a quandary because her spell would only work on one person and she was not sure whether to use it for the dying woman or for herself. She decided that the woman, her blood pooling around her, was in more danger while Bonnie herself still had a fighting chance, so cast it for her. The vampires had been circling Bonnie, and just as she finished the spell, one grabbed her. "What have we here?" he said. "A pretty little witch come to join us?"

Too late she realized her mistake. If she had cast the protection spell for herself first, she might have been able to save the woman too. Now, the vamps might kill her and the spell would wear off the other woman in about 20 minutes and then she would die too. Oh well, lesson learned for next time. Although chances for a next time were not looking good. Bonnie had her ash rod ready and was desperately attempting to focus her fire energy on one of the vampires when a fourth vampire turned up with a young man who appeared enthralled. Blood was flowing from gashes on both his neck and on his wrist. He didn't seem to notice.

Bonnie had managed to send a flash of energy at the vamp holding her captive, who yelped and dropped to the ground, unfortunately dragging Bonnie with him. "May I join this feast?" asked yet another vampire, who had walked into the clearing. This 5th vampire happened to be Damon.

The others didn't seem inclined to share. "There aren't enough of them" said one. "And this one's a witch" said the one on the ground. At which point, Elena plunged the ash stick, which doubled as a stake, through his body, praying she had struck his heart… which turns out she had. Damon simultaneously grabbed the head of the one closest to him and knocked it hard against a tree; the vampire slid down, dead or at least unconscious. Bonnie flung fire at the third vampire, knocking him down and Damon staked him while the fourth one hastily disappeared during the ruckus, taking his own human with him. It had all happened in less than 30 seconds.

Bonnie's first thought was to help the injured woman lying prostrate. But Damon physically held her back. "There is nothing you can do for her – she's too far gone" he said. Bonnie'e eyes took on a glazed appearance as the reality of all the deaths around her set in. She started to crumple towards the ground as her knees gave way, but Damon steadied her and turned her away from the dead bodies, towards him. "Are you ok?" he asked, putting an arm around her waist.

She fell into Damon's arms, clutching at him, as she might a lifeline, wracked with sobs in the aftermath of the grisly encounter. She hated that she always seemed to be in tears around him. He stroked her hair gently, her head against his chest a pleasant weight, allowing her time to stop trembling. "Shhh" Damon soothed. "They're dead. You're not. We should be having a party." Bonnie gulped down the rest of her sobs, and appeared to come to her senses about whose arms she was taking comfort in. She abruptly pulled away. "Careful" said Damon with a wicked grin. "One's still out there. " His words had their intended effect of keeping Bonnie close to him.

By the time they reached the boulder, Bonnie was feeling stronger and less jumpy. The moonlight reflecting off the water provided enough light for her to see by as she climbed up onto the boulder and settled into her favorite spot. She pulled a copper bowl out of her satchel along with a paper bag filled with ingredients for the spell. "I'll need something of her's" she said softly. Damon, who was well aware of how Discoverus Spells worked, handed her a scrap of muslin. "Its from her handkerchief" he explained.

With an eyedropper, Bonnie put 3 drops of an elixir into the bowl. She added Katherine's bit of handkerchief next and finally some water on top. She chanted the incantation out loud, her voice unwavering. At the end of the chant, she placed a large perfectly round crystal into the bowl. She had practiced the spell at home several times, thereby discovering the whereabouts of Matt, her English teacher and her neighbor's lost kitten. She let her eyes relax and unfocus, and looked through the crystal. Moonlight glinted bronze off her long hair which partially hid her face as she bent over the bowl. And she saw her. Katherine. The woman's resemblance to Elena was uncanny. The vampire was laughing, her head thrown back, blood dripping down her chin. She was beautiful, filled with pleasure. Bonnie peered further into the vision, to seek clues about her location. It looked like a college dorm room. There was a folder on the coffee table that said "_Rowan_." And then the vision blinked out. Bonnie felt like her brain hurt, and she felt light-headed and exhausted with the effort.

"Where is she?" Damon asked casually when she looked up warily.

"She's…" Bonnie's throat dried up. Once she revealed her information, he would have no more use for her. "I'll tell you when we're in a safer place."

Damon was instantly upon her. Bonnie opened her mouth to scream, but before she could, found herself in Damon's arms, being ferried fast as lightning through the woods, as if she weighed little more than a pillow. She closed her eyes and opened them again only when all motion had stopped. Damon had put her down on a garden chair in her own back yard.

He bared his teeth at her. "Now spill."

"She's at Rowan College in Massachusetts I believe."

Damon smiled ruefully "The little minx always did have a taste for the student body."

"So, I guess you'll be heading off right away then…?"

"First thing tomorrow. Have some preparations first."

"Ok then, good luck" offered Bonnie, making her move to get up. "Have a nice trip."

Damon grinned. "And you're coming with me."

"Um, no. No I'm not" stated Bonnie.

"I'm not going to be sent off across several state lines on a wild goose chase. You will be with me every step of the way until we find Katherine."

"I can't go with you" Bonnie exclaimed in a slightly panicked tone. "I have school on Monday. What will I tell my dad?"

"Really? School?" Damon looked incredulous. "If you're right about this, we'll be done by Sunday. Tell your dad you're staying with Elena."

"I won't lie to my father!"

"Then tell him the truth" sneered Damon. Obviously she could not reveal to her dad what was really going on. First he would not believe her. Second, he would be crazy worried. And third, knowing would probably put him in danger.

"I don't understand why I have to come with you. I'm telling you the truth of what I saw. If it helps, I'll do another Discoverus spell tomorrow so we can double check."

"I'm not wasting another moment. We leave tomorrow morning. I'll pick you up at dawn."


	6. Chapter 6

_I so very much appreciate all of the fans who have marked this story a favorite or requested an alert for it. And I especially want to thank each wonderful individual who has taken the time and effort to write a review: Monique, Lalaith Quetzalli, Bamonfan7, EmeraldFairy, Alena21, BonnieJune, Genevieve, Vamp213, ChaneD, ChamberlinofMusic, babyshan211, fekinLOVEtea, Sky Samuelle, NarniaJasamLeytonPrincess, DiorNicole, Lily, aprilf00l. You all rock!_

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**Six Hours in a Car**

Bonnie was awakened by the sound of cawing outside her window. Startled, she looked outside and saw a bird perched on the ledge. It was looking at her in a creepy, knowing sort of way. "Go away" Bonnie yelled to it as she turned to her clock. 6AM. She was surprised she had been able to sleep at all. She had spent most of the night alternating between packing some stuff to bring and trying to come up with a plan that would keep her home safe and sound instead of going on a road trip with a vampire. Her cell phone rang out. "Hello" she said sleepily, putting it to her ear.

"Rise and… Oh, just rise" said Damon cheerfully on the other end. He added unnecessarily "I don't like waiting."

Bonnie hung up the phone and sighed. She brushed her teeth, pulled back her hair and decided not to bother with a shower as she had taken one at night. She dressed in jeans with a black hoodie over a heather grey t-shirt over a charcoal cami. Wearing grays and black just seemed right. Picking up her satchel and a backpack that had some spell materials in it along with a change of clothes, she took one last look about her room. She had the uneasy feeling she might never see her room or her house or her dad again. She stifled a whimper when she thought about her dad. Lying had been easier than expected. He trusted her so much that he didn't give a second thought to her request to stay at Elena's for the weekend.

"Relax, its not an execution" remarked Damon when Bonnie opened the passenger side door of Damon's black Ferrari. Bonnie's grim expression did not change. "Lets make the best of it" said Damon, sliding on sunglasses despite that the sun was not yet even over the horizon. "Look, I brought you breakfast" he said merrily, holding up a bag from Starbucks.

Bonnie, who had not had a chance to eat breakfast, took it gingerly. "Thanks" she muttered and viewed the contents. A toasted cinnamon raisin bagel with heaps of cream cheese and a fresh squeezed OJ. It was exactly what she herself would have chosen. "Um, this was thoughtful of you - thanks" Bonnie tried to sound gracious. Damon was right. If they were going to be stuck together anyway, she was going to make the best of it. "Would you like half?" she asked without thinking.

Damon grinned. "No thanks. Already had _my_ breakfast."

Bonnie froze with the bagel halfway to her mouth. "Did you…? I mean what…? What did you have?" she gulped.

"Dear little Bonnie" he said pointedly, "if I had not already fed, you might have ended up on the menu." He then turned up the radio, so he could continue listening to the Bob Marley medley that had been playing.

Bonnie found she had lost her appetite and instead pulled out a book she had been in the middle of. She became engrossed in the story of a refugee family in Darfur. The children in the story had nothing but mud and stones to play with and ate one meal a day if they were lucky. The parents worked 16 hour days and were always tired and depressed. Bonnie was imagining how her powers might be able to help people like that and began dreaming about all the ways she would make their lives better.

Damon glanced at the snoozing girl beside him. He did seem to spend an awful lot of time watching Bonnie sleep. Her book had fallen to the floor and her barrette had fallen out and her hair was falling over her face. One hand was lightly curled around the strap of her satchel and the other was under her cheek. Her nail polish was a very girly pink. Damon had half a mind to wake her to ask what the hell did she think she was doing falling asleep while trapped in a car with a vampire. The other half was happy to make time driving in peace without any distractions. But another sliver of his mind, that he barely acknowledged, was a little bit elated that Bonnie trusted him enough that she felt safe falling asleep next to him.

He also ignored the part of his brain that was questioning his motives for bringing Bonnie with him. Bonnie may not trust him, but he knew that Bonnie was possibly the most trustworthy human he had ever met. If she told him that she had seen Katherine holed up at Rowan College, he believed her. And he didn't really need Bonnie's help in finding Katherine – his vampires senses would easily help find her once he was in her vicinity. So why had he insisted on bringing the witch along? He tried to tell himself that having a witch in tow could always come in handy. He refused to acknowledge to himself that he was becoming fond of the girl.

Bonnie's eyes fluttered open and she sat up instantly as she realized the car had stopped moving. She looked around, and noted that she was alone in the car, which was parked under a shady tree, next to a semi-deserted service station. There was just one other car in the area but not a single person seemed to be around. Bonnie opened the door and got out, stretching her legs and arms as she emerged. She figured Damon must be using the restroom (did vampires have to use the bathroom??) and decided she might as well too. But as she walked towards the service station, she heard muffled voices coming from behind it. She walked towards the back of the building with a little bit of apprehension, and as she rounded the corner she heard loud moans. She came upon Damon bent over a middle-aged woman, slurping against her neck. A husky man, probably her husband, lay a few feet away, his body slack, some blood still seeping from twin gashes in his neck.

Bonnie screamed and focused a bust of firepower energy at Damon. He flew several feet backwards, and landed on his feet. He instantly ran at Bonnie and was face to face with her before she could react. 'Damon, no" she wailed. "You can't feed from people like this."

"Its either her or you" said Damon. Without missing a beat he added "Of course, I'd rather it be you. Now choose."

"No, I won't let you; its wrong. " said Bonnie as she mentally prepared herself to cast another firepower spell.

But Damon was onto her. "Oh no, you're not going to do anything witchy on me" he snarled, grabbing her arms so it would be harder to release any spells. "I'm a vampire. I drink blood. Deal."

"Why can't you just drink animal blood like Stefan does?" asked Bonnie desperately.

"My brother is an idiot" replied Damon.

"I am not going anywhere with you if you do this" Bonnie retorted. "You can find Katherine by yourself."

"You're getting all worked up over nothing" said Damon, pointing to the dazed woman who was sitting on the ground and looked to be in the middle of a daydream. "She will never remember any of this"

"But you're still hurting her" Bonnie insisted. "Against her will."

Damon had had enough and simply dragged Bonnie towards the car. He was too strong to resist and Bonnie was forced into the vehicle. But at least he had stopped feeding on the woman.

They drove the rest of the way in silence. Bonnie was furious at Damon for doing damage to humans. And Damon was annoyed at Bonnie for being such a spoilsport. He was also a tiny bit annoyed at himself. But he couldn't figure out why. Was it because Bonnie was disappointed in him? No, that couldn't be – he didn't care what she thought. He could just kill her right now and any judginess would disappear. Poof -- easy.

He tried to focus on Katherine instead. He was so close to being with her. He could imagine her desirable face, her soft lips and white teeth, her angelic eyes and teasing laugh. He tried not to think about the fact that Katherine had escaped from the tomb, or perhaps never even been trapped in it, and still had never sought him out. There must be a reasonable explanation. Maybe she had been in danger and wanted him to be safe. Maybe she had some sort of magickal amnesia. Not for an instant could he let himself believe that Katharine may have simply not been interested in seeing him anymore.


	7. Chapter 7

A huge round of "thank you"s to my awesome fans and reviewers. This story would not be getting written without all the supportive and encouraging comments I have been honored to receive.

**Chapter 7**

Once they arrived at Rowan College, Damon parked the car and asked Bonnie to do a little scrying for Katherine. Through the crystal, Bonnie could see Katherine drinking red wine. Of course even her alcohol of choice was the color of blood. It looked like she was in a bar, hanging out with a few friends. There was a neon sign that read "Scooter's" above the shelf of bottles.

Once she had described it all to Damon, he opened the car window and dimpled at the first co-ed passing by. "Hello cupcake, where's Scooter's?"

The girl did a double-take, a reaction Damon was accustomed to. "I was going there myself" she grinned at him. "Why don't I get in the car and we can go there together?" her voice had a flirtatious edge. She was eyeing the handsome Damon with obvious admiration and desire.

"Damon was about to let her in when Bonnie jumped into the conversation "Just tell us where the bar is please". She didn't want to put this stranger in harm's way.

"The old ball and chain's a little jealous" smirked Damon, putting his arm around Bonnie, squeezing her to his side. Bonnie tried to push him away.

The girl pouted. "Its not far. We could all just walk."

The entire way to the bar Damon held Bonnie's hand in a tight grip so she couldn't escape. But it didn't stop him from flirting with the college student. It was a bit awkward for Bonnie to have Damon pretending they were together, yet seemingly humiliating her by bantering with another woman in a sexy manner.

Suddenly Damon stopped dead in his tracks. He sniffed the air and gave a small growl. Both Bonnie and the other girl were alarmed. Damon turned to the college student and looked directly into her eyes. "Get out of here" he said. "Forget us." The girl turned and walked the other way. "Katherine's nearby" Damon grunted to Bonnie. Bonnie looked towards where Damon was gazing and saw a sign that said "Scooter's" on a deep turquoise awning. Bonnie felt herself being dragged at lightning speed into the bar.

Damon spotted Katherine immediately. She was sitting at a table with another woman and two men. She was filled with her trademark languid laughter, her cheeks rosy with drink and enjoyment. She suddenly looked up, and her eyes locked with Damon's. She didn't favor him with a look of recognition, just continued to delight in the company around her. Damon, still holding Bonnie's arm in a death grip, strode to Katherine's table and stood so close that all four occupants looked up at them. Finally, looking upwards, Katherine beamed "Well, hello Damon". She looked over at Bonnie and winked at him. "Brought us a snack?".

Damon smiled grimly. He wasn't sure what he had expected. Katherine throwing herself at him the second she saw him? Katherine feigning disbelief that he had found her? He managed to say "Hello Katherine… surprised to see me?"

Katherine shook her head. "Took you long enough to find me" she said, as the others at the table started back on their drinking game.

One of the guys at the table pulled out a chair and said "Shouldn't make a lady stand" and gestured for Bonnie to sit down. Bonnie was not so sure she wanted to sit at that table, but Damon practically pushed her into the chair and grabbed one for himself. "So" began Damon "What have you been doing with yourself? Why haven't you contacted me in all this time?"

"I've been busy" Katherine said.

"For 160 years?" Damon asked lightly. "Where have you been?"

"Around."

"Around" repeated Damon, as the other three tried to teach Bonnie their game, which involved a tongue twister, a shot glass and a nickel.

"A little traveling. Spent some time in Italy, London, Rio… you know how it is"

"Katherine" Damon began, his voice an octave higher than normal. "I've missed you."

"Oh, everyone misses me" giggled Katherine.

Damon got right to the point "I spent a century and half trying to get that damn tomb open, and when I finally did, you were not in it."

"No" mulled Katherine and took a sip of her wine. "I was not in it."

They talked a bit more, Katherine slyly evading direct answers every time, until Damon realized with a start that the table was empty and only he and Katherine were still there. Where was Bonnie? He scanned the bar and didn't see nor sense her. "Looking for someone?" purred Katherine. "Looks like my friends took a liking to your little witch." Being an centuries-old vampire, of course Katherine was able to discern Bonnie's true nature.

"Where are they?" asked Damon stiffly.

"Not to worry" said Katherine. "They won't hurt her. Much."

"I don't want her hurt at all." stated Damon, surprising himself. Why was he concerned about Bonnie when he had Katherine in the flesh in front of him? "She's mine. Where did they take her?"

"Probably one of the abandoned warehouses by the river" Katherine answered. "But if you leave me now, you'll never find me again."

Damon, who had been about to get up, hesitated. "Why? What do you mean?" He was speechless, something that only happened once in a blue moon.

"I mean if you choose her than you lose me."

"I'm not choosing her Katherine" insisted Damon. "Let me go get her and send her home. Then you and I can –"

"- pick up where we left off?" finished Katherine. "Perhaps. If you stay here. I will tell you everything about what I've been doing for the last, oh, century and a half. You'll get every answer you want. But if you go after that witch, you will not find me when you get back. So choose. The witch. Or me."


	8. Chapter 8

_I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the reviews, which are a big part of why I keep writing. A big shout-out to everyone who marked this story for alerts or as a favorite, and to all my fantastic reviewers for the last couple of chapters (hope I'm not leaving anyone out): DiorNicole, Sarah, Lailath, Monique, BonnieJune, BabyShan, Genevieve, Donnie-and-Marie, quizas31, Rose, Jeanetta, Skates16, fekinLOVEtea, smir22, Diana, Alena, EmeraldFairy, April and Divadoll. You're the best!_

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**Chapter 8**

Damon felt time slow down. Every cell in Damon's being was screaming to not care about Bonnie. To stay with Katherine. To get some answers . But really -- he had the answers, didn't he? He felt himself going into a rage. Katherine was still playing games. She did not care about him. She just wanted to see what she could make him do. If she truly loved him, she would have sought him out. If the situation were reversed, Damon could never have stayed away from her for even a day.

Katherine looked at him mockingly. "Well?" she asked. Damon pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. Katherine's composure finally cracked a small bit. "You're going to her? What can she possibly mean to you?"

"Not that much" responded Damon. "But apparently more than I mean to you. Then he was gone, vamp-flashing away into the night.

It was easy to find the warehouses, but the first one Damon tried was empty. In the second, a handful of underage students were having a keg party. The third also seemed empty but just as Damon turned to leave, he heard a muffled scream. It had come form the second floor. Damon leaped upwards and made his way to a room that seemed to have some people in it. He saw two of the Katherine's pals holding Bonnie, one on each side. The third was lying unconscious in a corner – apparently Bonnie had cast some sort of spell on him. The two remaining ones appeared quite angry about it. They were in full-fang mode and growling at Bonnie. The male bent down to her neck but barely grazed her skin. The female, yanking Bonnie's hair hard, remarked slyly "I think we'll be having ourselves a little threesome here". They were toying with her.

To Bonnie's credit, she was handling it very bravely despite being terrified. She was attempting to muster up another spell, but the vamps were distracting her with threats and by inflicting physical pain. The male ran his razor-sharp nails along Bonnie's arm, drawing a thin line of blood. The female licked at it. To Damon's relief, he could see that Bonnie's neck was unmarked. if anyone was going to have Bonnie, it would be him. Bonnie' clothes had been partially ripped off. She was clad in just her jeans and a torn cami. They must have been torturing her for about half an hour already.

Damon sprung into action. Not in the mood to talk his way out of it, he just shot towards them and knocked the female down. The male howled and went after Damon. He jumped on his back and threw him across the floor. Bonnie shot a burst of fire at the male, stunning him, and giving Damon a chance to get to his feet and rush him. Bonnie staked the female with a piece of wood as she leaped to her feet to attack her. The male was proving a bit more challenging. He was holding his own against Damon, and Bonnie was so weak from being terrorized she was having a hard time focusing on a spell.

The male threw Damon into a wall, and grabbed Bonnie, trying to pull her down the stairs with him. "Damon, help me please" cried Bonnie. Damon felt a visceral reaction from her plaintive plea – she was depending on him and had called for him as if he were the good guy, the one who saves people instead of kills them. It gave him the extra boost of strength he needed to flee after the other vampire and drag him down. Pulling him away from Bonnie, Damon threw him over the stairs and jumped down after him. The two of them wrestled for a few seconds before Damon grabbed a stick and jabbed it into his heart.

He immediately went back for Bonnie and picked her up, checking her all over to determine the damage. After making sure there were no mortal wounds, he brought her outside and to a hotel. He paid for a room and got Bonnie settled in, making her take a shower to get all the blood off her. She had put on her frog PJs and crawled under the covers. She had numerous small cuts all over her body and bruises were sure to form where she had been hurt by the vampire trio. She lay curled up, her eyes teary and dark. Her shallow, ragged breathing began to grow more steady. Damon got up and began pacing. He had a terrible amount of anger building up inside him from the evening's events. Usually he was cool as a cucumber, but right now he knew he was in danger of losing control. He looked Bonnie squarely in the eye, but she just gazed right through him. He got up and went to the door, intending to find a couple of humans to drain – that would help.

"Where are you going?" Bonnie's voice called out, an edge of panic tingeing her words.

Damon turned and peered back at her. She looked small and afraid. She had stopped trembling but was obviously still shaken. Damon had been a little worried that she would be even more afraid of him, a vampire, as one is want to be when terrorized by other vampires. But Bonnie, her voice breaking, whispered "Damon, please don't go. Don't leave me alone." Damon knew it was her intense fear talking and he knew he was responsible for what had happened to her; if he had not brought her along, she would have been safe back in Mystic Falls at the mall with Elena or whatever those two did together. So he stayed.

He sat down on the bed next to her, and rubbed her shoulders lightly. At first she winced from his touch, but soon she relaxed. Damon lay down next her, over the covers, making it clear he was being a friend and not about to take advantage of her, and put his arm around her. He stroked her hair and told her stories of life in Mystic Falls in the 1800's until her breathing became more regular and Bonnie allowed herself to fall into a deep sleep… holding tight to Damon's arm. Only then did Damon allow himself to give in to the anguish he was feeling about Katherine. A single tear trickled from his eye.


	9. Chapter 9

_I am so sorry for not updating sooner – life has a way of getting in the way of ever-more-entertaining fiction. A million thank-you's to all the amazing fans who reviewed the last chapter and marked this story as a favorite or alert – this chapter is dedicated to all of you._

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**Chapter 9**

Damon awoke a couple of hours later to the sound of whimpering. Bonnie was thrashing around on the bed, moaning "Help me - let me go", apparently in the middle of a nightmare. Suddenly a painting hanging on the wall fell to the ground and all the items on the dresser—a hairbrush, a book, an ashtray -- began levitating and then crashed to the floor.

"Bonnie stop it" Damon admonished. Bonnie's mental anguish was causing her powers to manifest unbidden. Damon held Bonnie, speaking to her in a soft voice "Its ok. Bonnie, its ok. The bloodsuckers are dead. We killed them." He calmed and soothed her, until Bonnie's whimpering ceased and her breathing became more even.

"Where is Katherine?" asked Bonnie sleepily as it suddenly occurred to her to wonder why Damon hadn't simply abandoned her once he had found his true love.

Damon hesitated for a few seconds. "I don't know" he finally answered.

"Why aren't you with her?" she asked with a stifled yawn. And when Damon didn't answer, followed with "Don't you want to go to her?", her puzzlement obvious in her tone.

"No." Damon said simply and with finality. "Now, we both need some sleep." He closed his eyes and turned away and within minutes he could hear Bonnie's breathing change as she fell out of consciousness.

The next morning, Bonnie woke up feeling like she had been run over by a truck. Her entire body ached and her skin felt raw and tender. She instinctively touched her neck to make sure there were no bites. She felt a heaviness on her belly, and looked down to see that Damon, sleeping next to her, had his arm flung over her protectively. She was surprised to see that, and her first reaction was to quickly remove it. But it was such an uncharacteristically sweet gesture and as she recollected the night's events, she remembered that Damon had actually rescued her from crazed vampires. Again. Something he did not have to do once she had led him to Katherine. Bonnie had to wonder why. Did Damon need her help for something else… or did he somehow care about her? Surely it had to be the former, right?

Damon felt Bonnie wake up and lie there for awhile. He kept his arm right where it was, curious as to what she would do. Bonnie lay there for a few minutes, and then gracefully slipped out from under his arm and got up off the bed, emitting a couple of soft groans as her sore body rebelled. She looked back at Damon, who continued feigning sleep. He looked younger and more vulnerable lying down, eyes closed, hair tousled… non-threatening. Bonnie kind of liked Damon like this. She could even appreciate how amazingly attractive he was, with those chiseled features, sensuous mouth and – "stop it" Bonnie muttered to herself. She refused to think of Damon that way. He might have a slightly gentler side but he was still a ruthless monster.

She peeled off her pajamas and rummaged in her bag for some clothes. Damon watched her from half-lidded eyes. She had her back to him, but was clad only in a pair of light pink and gray flowered panties. He had barely gotten a pleasant eyeful when she darted into the bathroom and shut the door. "Naughty Damon" he chided himself with a grin. As soon as Damon heard the shower knob turn, he leaped out of the bed and left the room, intending to find some breakfast. He was ravenous.

Bonnie emerged from her shower feeling slightly better. She had swallowed a couple of painkillers. And she had scrubbed hard at her body and used up almost half a bar of soap in an attempt to remove the feeling of being violated from her skin. She had put on a cream sweater with a pumpkin colored corduroy skirt, brown tights and her brown boots. Not finding Damon in the room, she sat down on the bed and began packing up her stuff. Just as she finished, Damon walked in. He handed Bonnie a bag from Starbucks. This time it contained cooked oatmeal in a small tub and hot chocolate. Aaaah – comfort food.

Damon jumped in the shower while Bonnie ate her breakfast. He was done before she finished and came out with his dark hair damp and curling, his male-model chest bare, a towel around his narrow waist. When his brilliant blue eyes flashed in Bonnie's direction, her heart skipped a beat. Gosh, he was gorgeous.

"Damon" began Bonnie hesitantly. "What exactly happened between you and Katherine?"

Damon turned his back to her and dropped his towel. Bonnie looked away but not before catching a glimpse of Damon's perfectly muscled bottom. He pulled on a pair of dark denim jeans and began buttoning up a white collared shirt. She thought Damon wasn't going to respond when he turned towards her and said warily "She didn't really have an explanation for me. All she had for me were games." It was such a candid, naked un-Damon-like response that Bonnie didn't react at first. She could only stare at Damon's pain-contorted face as he looked off into the distance lost in his own thoughts.

"Oh, Damon, I'm so sorry" she managed to get out before Damon stopped her.

His visage had changed. His face was adamantine and closed off. "Lets go. Have to get you home so you'll be ready for the all-important school tomorrow" he said sarcastically. He took his bag as well as Bonnie's and strolled purposefully out the door, not even glancing back to see if Bonnie was behind him. By the time she caught up to him, they were in the hotel lobby, where there was some commotion because apparently a maid had been found unconscious and possibly anemic, in the stairwell.

"Why don't you let me drive?" asked Bonnie when they go to Damon's car. "That way you can relax and rest."

Damon was about to mechanically dismiss anyone else driving his car when he looked down at Bonnie and saw the sympathy and care in her eyes. "Don't" he said coldly "pity me."

Bonnie put her hand lightly on his arm. "I can't imagine how agonizing this must be for you… after so many years of hope…" Her voice broke and Damon could see her beautiful sea green eyes glittering with unshed tears as she tried to comfort him. Was the little witch crying for him? How could she feel anything for him after what Katherine's friends had done to her? After what he had done to her? And since when did _anyone_ ever feel sad on his behalf? Damon could feel the warmth of her hand on his arm and her nearness to him was making him perspire. He felt a wave of emotion sweep through his head – he realized with a crashing burst of thought that he wanted her. Her blood. Her body. Perhaps her soul. He felt his fangs and vamp face emerging. It was a rush and he madly wanted to give in to it. Instead he forced himself to turn away from Bonnie, tossing her the car keys, with a casual "sure – you drive" as he walked around the car, fighting to get himself back under control.


End file.
